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The attention economy

June 14, 2026 · 32 min

Show notes

Jason and Herman take stock of the current state of social media, examining how AI-generated content and platform incentives have transformed online spaces into engagement optimization machines. They explore the growing body of research linking social media use to declining wellbeing and cognitive outcomes, particularly among young people, and discuss various regulatory approaches being trialed around the world.


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Some of the topics discussed in this episode of the Idea Roastery:

  • Social media and mental health
  • Content creation economics
  • Digital literacy and education

Thanks for listening, we're available on the following platforms:

For more from us:

Herman: https://herman.bearblog.dev

Jason: https://www.jforte.me

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